For what's it worth guys (and in case anyone doesn't feel like reading 8 or 9 pages of stuff), I wound up settling on a pair of Lowa's. Considering I have fairly wide feet (with a left that's wider and a right that's longer, plus high arches....
...) it made things harder than it really should have been. My goal was to buy a pair of boots for around two bills, preferably made in either the US or Europe. Not the easiest task anyway, right?
I tried a ton of pretty high-end brands (Anhu, AKU, Keen, Hanwag, Merrell, Salomon, Oboz, Zamberlans, and I forget what all else). Some I only had on for a few minutes (all I could stand), some I gave a longer test (multiple days). If anyone's interested in one very subjective opinion that's worth just what you're paying for it, here's my brief evaluations:
Zamberlans - I tried two different pairs. Best by far. Super well made, very comfortable, but a little bulky. Unfortunately, they run too narrow for me.
Hanwag - Also well made, a little less comfortable, reasonably priced. I probably could have lived with these but kept looking.
Merrell - Tried a couple different models. Comfortable, easy to find, but I was concerned about durability though since they don't have the best record of longevity.
Salomon - I couldn't give specifics other than to say they were so uncomfortable that I wondered if I had them on the wrong feet. They just didn't fit my feet at all. They were good looking, light and well-made though so I was pretty bummed.
Keen - I just didn't like the looks of, but that's subjective of course. They were ok, but just didn't wow me. Not bad though.
Anhu's, AKU's and Oboz all seemed decently made but just didn't fit my foot shape. They weren't bad, but I knew I could do better. (With Oboz and Anhu it was the arch shape, AKU it was the toe box pinching). YMMV, but I've heard other people echo these complaints. (And If anyone wants specific models of these brands, I could look them up, but don't recall off the top of my head).
So anyway, I settled on Lowa Renegades. They're pretty comfy out of the box, but I expect them to get better as the leather gets broken in. The toe box is nice and wide. Good traction. Waterproof, which after recent flooding here I can say with certainty. I was able to get them on sale, which was nice. I'm mildly concerned about sole delamination which I've seen pictures of online. It seems like there were a period were this was a problem, but from what I can tell the time frame was limited. Maybe some defective adhesive or something? Seems like this happened in 2014 and 15? I specifically bought my boots from REI so I'd have a year to return them, should this happen. Overall, I'm happy with my decision. No boot is perfect from what I can see, but Lowa seemed as close as I was going to get. I'm looking forward to
really putting them through their paces in the Rockies this summer, but after using them for short hikes, I think I'm pretty happy.
Anyway, if you're looking for boots for wider feet maybe this thread could help you out. Thanks again for all the advice and opinions!
